Dental articulator



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` F. L. WILLIAMS DENTAL ARTICULATOR Filed April 5412x3214 y ENTOR. ffl. .LL/HMS.

Patented lli/lar., 4l, 1224.

pllreiil massi earner erstes.

FRANK L. WILLIAMS, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

DENTAL ARTICULATOR.

Application filed April 5,

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. TWILLIAMS, a citizen of the United States, residin at Denver, in the county of Denver and tate of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dental Articulators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to dental articulators of the type in which upper and lower model supporting members are relatively adjustable to obtain, in the practice of prosthesis, the proper position of the teeth on one model in the occlusal plane after those in the other model have been arranged according to given measurements and calculations.

It is the main object of the present invention to provide in an` instrument of the above described character', certain movements and adjustments of the cooperating parts which greatly facilitateits use andy promote the accuracy of the dental work in which it is employed.

Another object is to provide an articulator which may be used in connection with a device tor locating teeth by geometric calculation7 such as that shown and described in my copending application, Serial Num! ber 458,675, filed Moin 23, 1921, and still other objects Vof the invention reside in eatures of construction and arrangement of parts which will be fully disclosed lin the following` description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings in the several views of which corresponding parts are similarly designated,

Figure 1 is a partially sectional side elevation of my improved yarticulator,

Figure 2, a horizontal section of the instrument taken on the line 2 2, Figure 1;

Figure 3, a vertical section through the standard of the instrument, on the line 3 3, Figure 2;

Figure 4, a section taken on the line 4-4, Figure 1;

Figure 5, a section along the line 5-5, Figure 1, and Y Figure 6, a horizontal section through the standard taken on the line 6-6, Figure 1.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the reference character 2 designates a standard for the support of the cooperating model holding members 3 and 4 hereinafter to be described, which through the medium 1921. Serial No. 458,674.

of a ball-and-socket joint 6 is adjustably connected to a clamp 7 by means of which it is attached to the edge of a table, work bench or other suitable support.

The clamp consists of a U-shaped member 8 and a set-screw 9 for holding the same in position by engagement. with the under side of the support to which it is applied, and the ball-and-socket joint comprises male and female members 10 and 12, a retaining sleeve 13 connected to the female member and cooperating therewith to form a socket for the other member, and a nut 14 screwed upon the eXterioi-ly threaded female member for the purpose of clamping the parts against relative displacement after the standard has been adjusted to the desired position.

The cooperating parts of the ball-andsocket joint are formed at the opposite ends of short shanks 15 and 16 by means of which they are connected to the clamp and the standard and which when axially alined extend at substantially right angles to the latter at a medial point thereof.

The standard has two longitudinal slide ways 17 and 18 respectively connecting with slots in its front and rear sides. The 'forward slideway is designed to receive a correspondingly formed rackbar of an instrument for locating the teeth bygeometric measurements, such as that shown and described in the companion application for patent hereinbefore referred to, and a pinion 19 adapted for cooperation with said rack-bar, is rotatably mounted in bearings on the standard in connection with a headed pintle 2O to whichI it is rigidly attached, A knurled thumb nut 21 which is screwed upon the threaded end of the pintle serves to lock the rack-bar in its adjusted positions.

The other slide-way 18 is partially occupied by a rack-bar 22 formed at right-angles to a bracket 23 which extends through the slot at the front oit' the standard forits connection with the clamp of the lower model-supporting member of which it isa part.,

A pinion 24 on a headed bolt 25 which vis rotatably supported vin bearings on the standard, enters the slot at the rear side of the sameto cooperate with the rack-bar 22, and a peripherally knurled n'ut 26 on the threaded end of the bolt is provided to clamp the bar in its adjusted positions.

The model clamp of the member comprises a plate 27 which has a Central foot 28 for its support upon the head of a rack-bar 29 which is slidably fitted in a longitudinal guide-way of the bracket.

A pin 30 extending downwardly from the foot of the plate in axial alinement therewith, passes through a bore in the head of the rack-bar 29, and a nut 3l screwed upon the threaded end of the pin engages the lower surface of the head to lock the plate against rotation The plate has two alined slots 32 in which are slidably fitted two cooperating clamping jaws 33 movably supported upon feed screws 34.

The screws are rotatably mounted in bearings underneath the plate and they are provided with knurled heads to facilitate their independent rotation for the purpose of bringing the jaws in engagement with .a dental model placed on. the plate as indicated in broken lines at 35 in Figure l.

The plate of the model-supporting member is furthermore provided with a plurality of set screws 36 which project above the upper surface thereof to engage the bottom surface of the model for the purpose of adjusting its position to the occlusal plane, and hooks 37 arranged along opposite edges of the plate provide for the attachment of rubber-bands 38 which secure a wax trial plate upon the model by engagement with projecting pins thereof.

The upper model holding member of the instrument is very similar to the lower inember and is placed reversely with relation thereto. lts plate 39, clamping aws 40 and feed and leveling screws 4l and 42 are identical to those of the lower member and need no further description.

The foot of the plate of the first-described member, however, is replaced in the upper member by the male part 53 of a ball-andsocket joint the female part of which consists of a U-shaped head 43.011 a rack-bar 44 which is the equivalent of the rack-bar of the other member.

A clamping screw 45 fitted in alined apertures in the opposite sides of the channeled head, functions to bring said sides in clamping engagement with the spherical member of the joint and thereby lock the plate in its adjusted positions.

The rack-barv 44 is slidably fitted in a slot of a bracket 46 which ispivotally connected at the upper end of the standard by a screw pin 47, a pinion 48 which cooperates with the rack is mounted on a headed shaft 49 which is rotatably supported in bearings at the forward end of the bracket, a nut 50 on the threaded end of the shaft isfprovided to lockthe pinion against rotation and thereby hold the rack-bar in its adjusted positions-and a headed set-screw 5l passing through a threaded opening in a side of the standard engages the bracket to control its pivotal movement.

ln the operation of my invention the dental model 35 is placed upon the plate of the lower supporting member and firmly secured by means of the cooperating clamping jaws which are moved in engagement with opposite sides of the model through the medium of the feed screws.

The wax trial-plate of the model may, furthermore, be secured by the rubber bands 38 passing around the hooks 37 at the edges of the-plate 2'? and engaging with studs on the trial plate and after the model and the trial plate have thus been fastened, the model is adj usted to a desired position with relation to a determinate plane by the set screws 36 which engage the lower surface of the same.

The plane above referred to, as well as the positions of the articial teeth to be arranged on the model, may be determined by any suitable means within the scope of the present invention, but I prefer to use the instrument disclosed in the before-mentioned co-pending application for patent which indicates the occlusal planeand gives the exact location of the teeth by scales which are founded upon geometrical calculations.

The use of the instrument requires the removal of the upper model-holding member from the space above the lower member, which is readily accomplished by moving it about its pivot, after which the instrument is inserted in the slide-way l? of the standard in cooperative relation to the pinion 19 which functions to effect its vertical adjustinent.

It will be evident that, irrespective of the method employed to arrange the teeth on the model fastened upon the lower supporting member, the work is facilitated and expedited by removal of the upper model supporting member from the space above the lower model by moving it about its pivot.

After the teeth are arranged on the lower model, the position of those on a corresponding model 52 clamped on the plate of the upper holding member is readily ascertained by replacing the latter in its original position above thelower member and moving the lower model into engagement with the upper model by rotation of the pinion A.24 which cooperates with the rack 29 of the bracket 23 to which the supporting plate 27 is fastened. l

lit will be understood that prior to-.thus determining the position of the teeth in the upper model, the-models are movedito the proper relative positions which isreadily accomplished by the several adjustments hereinbefore described.

The ball-and-socket joint between the standard and the clamp-.by which-the instrument is fastened to a work-bench 0r other support, permits of adjusting the work to any position which is most convenient to the operator.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a dental articulator, a standard, an upper model holding member including a bracket pivoted on the standard, a rack-bar slidable on the bracket, a pinion on the bracket cooperating with the rack-bar and a model-support connected to the rack bar at the outer end thereof, and a lower modelholding member cooperatively positioned with relation to the other.

2. In a dental articulator, a standard having a slideway, an upper model holding member pivoted at the upper end of the standard, a lower model holding member cooperatively positioned with relation to the other, and a rotary pinion on the standard adapted for cooperation with a rack bar in the slideway of the same.

3. In a dental articulator, a standard having a slide way, and a model supporting member including a, bracket in said slideway, a model-holder on said bracket,

and means for holding the bracket in its adjusted positions.

4l. In a dental articulator, a standard having a slideway, and a model-supporting member including a bracket in said slideway, a model-holder adjustable on said bracket, and means for holding the bracket in its adjusted positions.

5. In a dental articulator, a standard having a slide-way, and a model supporting member including a bracket in )said slide way, a model-holder pivoted on said bracket, and means for holding the bracket in its adjusted positions.

6. In a dental articulator, a standard having a slideway, a bracket having a rack bar in the slideway, a pinion on the standard cooperating with the rack bar, and a model holder on the bracket.

7. In a dental articulator, a standard, a bracket slidable thereon, a rack bar slidable on the bracket, a model-holder on the rack bar, and a pinion on the bracket cooperating with the rack-bar.

8. In a. dental articulator, a standard, a bracket slidable thereon, a bar slidable on the bracket, means for holding the bar and the bracket in their adjusted positions, and a rotary model-holder on the bar.

9. In a dental articulator, a model-support comprising a plate, means to fasten a dental model -thereon against lateral displacement, and screws on the plate adapted to engage the underside of the model for the adjustment to a desired level.

l0. In a. dental articulator, a clamp member adapted to be engaged over the edge of a work bench or similar support, a connecting element extending laterally from said clamp member for a distance outwardly therefrom, and a plate at the outer end of said connecting element adapted to support a dental model in position thereon.

l1. In a dental articulator, a model clamp comprising a plate, and separately adjustable, `axially alined clamping jaws adapted to co-operatively secure on the plate a dental model by engagement with opposite sides thereof.

12. In a dental articulator, a clamp member adapted to be engaged over the edge of a work bench or similar support, a twopart connecting element extending laterally for a distance outwardly from said clamp, adjustable means connecting the parts of said connecting element together, and a plate carried at the outer end of said connecting element adapted to support a dental model in position thereon.

In testimony whereof I have aixed my signature.

FRANK L. WILLIAMS. 

